UPS will charge more for Christmas shipments

ATLANTA — Christmas is six months away, but UPS is already planning for it.

The world’s largest shipping company announced Monday just how much it plans to hike prices during the holiday season.

United Parcel Service is instituting per-package surcharges for the holiday season to help cover the cost of hiring additional workers and renting extra planes and trucks. UPS typically sees its volume double from normal levels around Christmas.

UPS typically negotiates higher rates with its major customers and raised rates for individuals. But this is the first time UPS is spelling out specific surcharges for the holiday period.

The surcharges start the week of Nov. 19 — Thanksgiving week — for ground shipments. They begin the week of Dec. 17 for faster delivery options such as overnight or 2- or 3-day service.

The additional charges will range from 27 cents a package for ground shipments early in the season to 97 cents for 2-day air and 3-day select service the week before Christmas.